Mortar gaging trowel



0. F. MANN.

1a. 1,321,532. Patented Nov. 11,1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OSCAR F. MANN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

MORTAR-GAGIN G TROWEL.

Application filed .Tu1y 26, 1918. Serial N0. 246,895.

the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

'lhis invention relates to a masons trowel and has reference more particularly to a trowel that is designed to be used by band generally for laying-mortar, and especially for laying the mortar compactly and uniformly to a measuted width and thickness.

An object of the invention is t0 prvide a masons trowel which shall be so constructed as to enable a workman t0 facilitate the building of Walls, and to obtain the grea tes1i advantages in the matter 0f accuracy of work and also in efllciency and economy in the use of mortar. Another object is to provide a band troWel which shall have large capacity and be adapted to carry mortar without permitting par ticles of the mortar t0 fall ofl' and become lost or wasted, in order thattl1e maximurn results may be obtained from the workrnans time and efforts. A jurther objectis to provide a masons tro*vel which shall be of such con- -structio'n as to enable the mason, when placing mortar upon a Wall under construction, to not only -place a layer 0f mortar of un1- form thickness and width bat; t0 also cause the mortar t0 be forced down into the joint openings between the bricks or' sbones of the course of bricks or-stones that may be uppermost. A still further object is to provide a mortar-gagingtrowel Which shall be adapted t0 loe carried by band and used in the building of Walls in an efficient manner not only by eXperts but by those having limited experience in laying mortar Which trowel shall be adapte'd 130 be used also by band in the usual manner for various purposes and be durable and economical in use.

With the above-rnentioned and other 0bj'ects in view, the invention consists in a trowel having 10W side-boards adapted 130 perform thefunctions of runners and gages for detennining the thickness and w idth of a layer of mortar, the forward portion 0f the trowel having a projeotihg point extending downward toward the plane of the edges of the side-boards to cause a longi- Speciflcaition of Letters Patent.

Patented. Nov. 11, 1919.

tudinal grooVe 01' depression in the surfaoe of the layer of mortar; and, the invention con'sists also further in the firowel l1avin ce1tain novel feaj;ules of construction and combinations and arrangements 0f parts, as hereinafter particularly described and further defined in the acoompanying claims.

Referring to the drawings,Figure 1 is a perspective view of tl1e new trowel as preferably constructed; and, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a Wall and the trowel thereon arranged in one of its operative positions to illustrate the manner of laying mortar as designed.

Sirnilar reference characters in the different figu1es of the drawings indicate horresponding elemehts 01' features of construction herein referred to in detail.

The new trowel is constructed primipally of sheet metal and comprises a flat oblong main plate 1 having npturned side memloers 2 and 3 on the two oppositelonger edge portions thereof. The n1ain plate is uniform in Width and sufliciently long to carry a la1ge quantity of mortar, the Widtl1 preferably beingslightly less tl1an the Width of a Standard brick. One end or shorter edge of the main plate l1as a rear end ine1nher 4 thereon that extends obl'iquely to the main plate. The side mernbers are tapering and have straight edges 5 and 6 respectively to constitute gaging runners, the broader portions 0f the side members being connected t0 the end member 4 and extending beyond the latter, so that the narrower end portions 7 and 8 of the side members respectively are adjacent t0 the oppo site end of the n1ain plate. Thus tl1e side members have relatively high portions 9 and 10 in proximity to the end member 4: to retain a large bulk of 1nortar, the edges 5 and 6-0f the side-rnernbers being on a plane that is obliqe to the plane o1 the main member l. The main plate 1 has sho1t forward end portions 11 and 12 adj'acent t0 the narrower ends 7 and 8 respectively of the side rne1nbers, andthe rnain plate has an extension 13 there0n, the extension having edges 14 and 15 that extend fro1n the ends 11 and 12 respeotively and.converge to a point 16. The rear ends of the side rnembers 2 and 3 preferably have rounded edge portions 17 and 18 respectively to pern1it the edges 5 and 6 to be drawn as runners smoothly along the top of tl1e Wall being built A handle 19 is rigidly S8Clll8d to the outer side of the end member 4 and extends away on a plane between the plane of the main plate 1 end the laue of the edges 5 an d 6, being preferab y oblique an led to both Planes, so that the trowel can e cou- .specially arranged handle 19 so as to sfloop a load of mortar therein and carry it to the plane required where the trowel is dexter-- ously turned over so as t0 deposit the mortar upon the npper course of the wall at the required pl-'aee after which the trowel is drawn baokvinard while holding the edges V 5 end 6 down 'on the tops of the bricks or stones, an-d with the trowel arranged slightly back frorn the edges of the bricks. As the trowel is drawn baekward it produces a layer 27 of mortar with side portions 28 and 29 of uniforn'1 thickness, the layer being uniform in Wid-th and slightly less than the width 'of the brick or stone, or so that the layer does not flow over the front edge of the wall and become wasted. As the trowel is moved backward the workm'an may apply pressure With one hand upon the main plate 1 which acts as a wedge o0 compress the mortar and force it compactly in plaee while the projeeting nose portion 13 eauses a longitudinal groove or depression 30 to be formed in the top of the layer of mortar,

which is desired by the mason. The pressure produced on the mortar causes partieles thereof to be forced down between the ends of the b ricks or stones to form bondg 31 that unite with the bond portions 32 previously forced up in the joints when laying a oourse of bricks. When the succedmg course is laid upon the mortar, the mortar is pressed down slightly so as tobe caused to spread out to the'edges of the bricks, as in common practi-w, with the advantage that the bric'ks ver stones may be more readily brought to a line on the uniform layep of morbar than when-placed on a layer difiering in thickness as has been the custom.

Having thus descf1bed the invention, what is clainned as new lS-' 1. A mortar-gaging trowel inelud ing a reversible flat pla'te hav ing side g1ages and a slanting rear end on oneside thereof and having also a projecting front end, the side gages having edges to constitute rnnners, theed es being on a laue that is obl1que to the boy ortion of t e late, end intersect s the pr0]ectingfr0nt en of the trowel, end a handle on the ouber side of the 'slantlng rear end.

2. A mortar-gaging trowel comprising an 0blong main plate having. two low side plates on opposite edges thereof and having also a relatively oblique-angled rear end portion on one of its ends, the side lates being tapering and having tl1eir broa er portions connected to the oblique-angled rear end portion of the main plate, the opposite end of the main plate having a projecting point thereon, end a handle secured to the ouber side 0f the oblique-angled rear end portion of the main plate.

3. A mortar-gaging trowel comprisingan bblong flat main platze, two 10W ta ering s1de members on the opposite longer e ges of the main plate, an end member on one of the shorfer ends of the main plate in relatively inclined relation -and connected to the broader porbions of the side members, a grooving member on the opposite end of the main late adjaceht t0 the narrower ends of the side at1embers, and a handle on the outer side of the end member extending on a plane that is between and oblique t0 the planes of the main plate and the plane of the edges of the side members.

4. A reversible smoothing end mortargag1ng trowel oomprising a flat main plate that is oblong in plan, one of the shorter ends of the -plate hav ing a-pointed projection oentral thereon, an incl1ned end member on the opposite end of the main plate th-at extends therefrom at an obt.use angle to the plate, two side members on the longer edges respectively of the main plate at right angles bo the face of the plate,'each side mermber being tapering end having its edge inclined to the plane of the main plate, the narrower portions of the side members being adja'cent to the pointed projecti-on, the broader portionsof the side members being connebtezd to the in olined end member end extending beyond it, and a handle secured to the outside of the end member and extend-' ing therefrom between the plane of the main plate and the plane of the inclined edges of the side members.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OSCAR F. MANN.

- Witnesses:

E. T. SILVIUS, F. M. Rononn. 

